Undulations in the dark

Being a poor sleeper, it doesn't take much to disturb my nights. Last night was a different kind of disturbance though.

I was already awake at 2.15 am, and about to try to sleep again when I heard something moving the gravel outside our front door. Of course I had to check, and could just make out in the gloom a shape undulating. Too small for a fox I thought, could be a cat. Then as my eyes became accustomed to the dark, I could see that it was not one animal, but two, either fighting or copulating, not sure which!

It was two hedgehogs, and one seemed to be making angry noises. They were nearly joined by a third, a small one which was travelling down the nearby pathway. It seemed to think better of joining in the affray and wandered off again. As we rarely see hedgehogs, it was good to know they're still around.
I didn't want either of them to hurt the other, so went downstairs and opened the front door. One scarpered immediately, the other just stayed still, not even rolling itself into a ball. It was gone this morning though, so couldn't have been badly hurt. Surprising how quickly they can move when they want.

Is this a Scam?

Sleep is not one of the things I'm good at. When something bad happens just before I try to sleep it really puts me off. Last night was one of those times.
I'd just gone upstairs to the bedroom when the phone rang, about 10.30pm  and Mike answered it. The man on the other end purported to be from Verified by Visa, and said some suspicious transactions had taken place regarding a debit card. I immediately came downstairs and took the call instead. Mike had put the phone down once, as we thought it was a scam. He immediately phoned back and said this was serious, somebody in Manchester was using our details to buy things on-line. A few hundred pounds were involved so far. I listened to him but felt sceptical about the authenticity.
In all the man phoned 5 times, and each time said there was another purchase and the money would come out of our account soon. He said he didn't want any details from us, but said we should phone our bank straight away. I said I would.
As I still felt that all was not as it seemed, I used my mobile to phone the bank, not the landline. While I was talking to the bank, the man phoned again. He would not give a phone number to us, said as it was to do with fraud, he couldn't divulge his number. Our bank was very helpful, the girl went away to talk to the fraud department there, and they said it was highly unlikely that Verified by Visa would phone us. They did of course check that we'd not given any details out. Absolutely not was my reply.
The advice then was not to use the internet banking for at least 24 hours, and they would check. No sign at that time that anything was amiss. No calls from the bank today, so fingers crossed that all will be well, and that tomorrow I can check on-line. It's very unnerving though; we don't have much money, and certainly can't afford to lose any of it. I've looked on Google to see if this is a well-known scam, but it doesn't seem so, although there have been several phishing scams involving Verified by Visa. Others out there should be aware though that things are not what they seem.

Domestic Mishaps

We live in a throw-away society, for sure. Why then, when one household appliance decides it's had enough, do others quickly follow suit?
In the last month, our radio alarm clock suddenly started gaining about quarter of an hour each time we looked at it! When I turned it over, it felt warm and looked slightly brown, so we decided it may be a fire risk and we'd better throw it out. We had to have another. Trying to sleep at night without the sound of the radio is difficult when I suffer from tinnitus and insomnia - not a good combination. Fortunately we found a very suitable replacement close to home.
Just over a week ago, I went to the fridge/freezer to take out some ice-cream for our desserts. It was ominously soft, and obviously defrosting. We were lucky in that our very kind neighbours were able to take some of our food in their freezer as a temporary measure. The next day we went to buy a new one, and were able to arrange a quick delivery. Years ago we would have tried to have the item repaired, but nobody wants to know these days, and it would be too expensive.
That was not the end of the disaster though. As I pulled out the old fridge/freezer, I found it much heavier than I'd remembered. It must have been caught on something, as when it finally emerged with much puffing and sweating on my part, there was a tear in the flooring, which had only been replaced last year. I've tried to do some invisible mending on it, and probably others wouldn't notice it, but I know it's there. It will have to stay though for the moment.
What will be next I wonder? I suspect it could be the telephone, as sometimes it's hard to hear people, and I can't always blame my ears. It may of course be the toaster, which has travelled far and wide over the years, so has done good service. Whichever item it is, I hope it will not be for some time yet.

Frozen Frogspawn

Perhaps the frogs know something we don't, but we already have two batches of frogspawn in our pond. Unfortunately the pond is frozen today, and I'm not sure they'll survive.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Kingston Lacy to see the snowdrops. There are other flowers also opening up, and trying to welcome spring. This hellebore was particularly attractive.

Another unusual sight was this family of Kune Kune pigs, which are evidently originally from New Zealand. The youngsters were born in early December, and are thriving. I believe they are keeping two of them to breed at the estate.

Bad Timing

Talk about putting a damper on my Christmas fare! Yesterday I received a letter from our local GP surgery, asking me to make an appointment to have my blood sugar tested, since they have told me I have impaired Fasting Glycaemia! This is a pre-diabetic condition. I must have my blood tested annually to see if I have developed diabetes.

Following this they made recommendations about what I should be eating, less sugary food, less fat and take more exercise. Couldn't they have left this until after Christmas? I don't intend to make a pig of myself, but we all enjoy chocolates, Christmas pudding and mince pie etc.

I'll wait until the New Year to make the appointment, but suspect all my levels will be higher than usual because of the time of year. At least they are keeping an eye on me, for which I should be grateful.

Happy Christmas and New Year everyone.

Of Mice and Monkeys

Mouse alert! Mike decided to take garden waste to the tip this morning. On loading the car with the bags, a mouse jumped out of one of them, straight into the car (my car.) We tried poking with a stick to no avail. No sign of the little beastie. Mike decided to carry on.
When he arrived at the tip he opened the doors and found the mouse sitting in the wheel arch. It was gone in a flash, poor little thing. Far from home now and missing its family. Feel sorry for it, but I didn't want it running around my car when I'm driving, and maybe jumping down my neck.

It's great living so close to Monkey World; we often hear the chimps as they have their breakfast, but this last week when we've had cold weather, they've been making so much noise. Last Sunday we thought they must have escaped and any moment we expected to see some of them swinging over the rooftops. I think it must have been the direction of the wind that we heard them so clearly, or maybe they were complaining about being shut out of their homes while their keepers were cleaning them. No news of any breakout anyway.

What are we like?

We must be the most unromantic couple ever! We've had a week of quiet celebration. Last Thursday was our 37th wedding anniversary. On the Wednesday I asked Mike what tomorrow would be. His reply was that it would be Thursday, so I thought he must have forgotten.

On Thursday we visited a friend. Neither of us had remembered up to then. She must have said something that sparked a thought, so I wished Mike a Happy Anniversary. He immediately looked at his watch to see what the date was. Oh well, it doesn't mean that we don't care, just that we had more important things to think of.

Monday was his 70th birthday. On Sunday he asked me if we really had to go out somewhere. I hadn't made any arrangements, so said not if he didn't want to. He wasn't feeling too well that day, which explained why he didn't want to go out, but he was better next day, so we just ended up going for a quiet lunch at the pub (The Bear in Wool). It was very nice and I didn't have to cook. He wouldn't have wanted a big party anyway, but I felt it should have been more than it was.

Responsible dog ownership

As most of my friends know, I'm passionate about dogs. Sometimes though, it's possible to come across one who does not behave as it should. Usually it's not the dog's fault, as it hasn't learned some of the lessons it needs to learn about living alongside humans. Gizmo and I met such a dog the other day, and poor Gizmo came off the worst, with cuts around his ear, bruising around his neck, and a cut in his mouth. It could have been worse of course.

I'd just like to say to all those dog owners who let their dogs loose off the leads, which is not a bad thing of course where suitable, that if they know their dog could be aggressive, please keep them on the lead, and muzzle them. Everyone would be a lot safer then.

Autumn

One of the good things about this time of year is the colours we see around us. This Virginia creeper covers a wall at Stinsford, near Dorchester. We went there recently to visit the grave where Thomas Hardy's heart was placed. The rest of him was cremated and placed in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey.

The village of Stinsford was Melstock in his novels. It's an interesting and pretty area.

As for our situation, Mike is continuing to make good progress after his spinal surgery, and all professionals we come across say how lucky he's been. Don't we know it?! He now looks the picture of health.

Two good weeks, and wild flowers in the garden

The last two weeks have been quite a change for us. No medical appointments for either of us! Wonderful, but next week we have to go back to the hospital for Mike's follow-up appointment after his spinal surgery. He's doing quite well but it will take time for full recovery.

Earlier in the year, Mike scattered some wild flower seeds along the side of the garden. This is one of the flowers from that sowing. It looked particularly attractive one morning after rain.

Just one of those days

Yesterday began in such a way that I went to check the calendar, in case it had suddenly moved on to Friday 13th. But no, it was just a bad start.
Firstly I found a young starling, upside down on the lawn, kicking its legs into the air in an effort to right itself. I managed to pick it up and place it on the side of the lawn on a bank where it may have had more shelter from the continuing rain. I was about to take Gizmo for a walk, and thought I'd build a shelter for the bird when I came back. I'd noticed a spot of blood on its tail feathers, but had no idea how badly injured it was. It was certainly soggy.
On returning from the walk, the bird had gone, so I can only assume it was just stunned with a minor injury. Thank goodness for that.
Next, since Mike has a bad back, and the physio has advised a hot water bottle three times a day, I filled this for him and he placed it against the chair. Unfortunately, it had developed a split which oozed water over the chair, and onto the new carpet below. Fortunately though, it had not scalded Mike. Hairdryer deployed, but I had little time as I had to get to the optician.
I just had time, I decided, to nip to our local Boots, and buy a new bottle. They had them in stock I was told, but couldn't sell anything to anyone as the pharmacist had not arrived, and would not do so until about 10 o'clock. Frustrating or what?
After that the day improved, everything else fitted into place, and I spent the afternoon at the Writers' Group, which we all enjoyed.

Not just any old olive tree

This may look like any other olive tree in Andalucia. To me however, it is a special tree, where, over eight years ago, an abandoned dog looked after her five puppies. One of those puppies became my dear Cara, now no longer in this world.

On a recent trip to Spain, I was able to find the tree again, and in my mind, saw again those wonderful puppies. The inside of the tree is now so large that it could accommodate even more puppies, but thankfully there were no dogs around. Just as well for me, as I could not have coped with importing them into England. It's a journey I shan't make again for sure, but I was delighted that I could see the tree.

U3A meetings

It's been an enjoyable week for U3A meetings. Wednesday the intermediate computing group had a guest speaker, and the whole meeting was given over to the subject of making your family tree via the net. Most illuminating, and as many of the people there have large families, and have started tracing their ancestors, it was of immense benefit to them.
This morning we were at the Meeting Points, the social gathering of anyone from any of the groups, plus visitors. The first half was dedicated to coffee, biscuits and chat plus any administration news. The second half was presented by a guest speaker, who showed photographs and told us about the weather in Swanage, past and present. Some great photographs, and wonderful stories from the past.

A couple of March outings

These old houses in Cerne Abbas took my fancy recently, not a straight line among them. We had a lovely visit to the area, with firstly a look at the Cerne giant! After a visit to the village of Cerne Abbas, we stopped on the way home at Nether Cerne to look at the churchyard. Very pretty.

Today we've been to the U3A Meeting Points social and enjoyed a talk and slides on the Galapagos Islands. Beautiful photos too.
Pleased with some progress on the writing front. Posted an article off to a magazine this morning - yes I do sometimes still use snail mail. Fingers crossed for a good result.

Could we have some good news?

The only place for murders is in fiction. Just at the moment though, all the news bulletins are full of reports of terrible violent incidents. Can everyone please stop killing each other. What has happened to people in this country? It seems that if a relationship is over, or somebody has offended another person, revenge has to be taken.

Does anyone else think there are more of these events than there ever were before? If so, what can we do to stop it? Any ideas please? Let's keep the killings for the pages of the books we read or write.

Lovely Party Yesterday

Really enjoyed the party to celebrate the Ruby Wedding anniversary of my good friends Sue and Dave. It's quite an achievement in this day and age. Their family and friends met up for a good lunch, and a great time was had by all. We met at the St Peters Finger pub; most impressed with the choice of menu.
I was one of three bridesmaids at their wedding, and we were all there, and recreated the photos which were taken at the time. Guess we all looked a little different!

Praise for the NHS

The NHS has come in for a lot of criticism recently, a lot of it with due cause I think. However, praise where it's due - last Thursday Mike had an appointment for laser surgery at Bournemouth Hospital. The actual procedure took little more than 5 minutes, and the results are brilliant.

The next day, while driving he commented how clear things looked compared to recent times. He'll never have excellent sight in that eye, but he'd not noticed how bad things had become until the treatment. All praise to the doctor and the technology involved.

Flu jabs today

Glad that we've managed to have our flu jabs this morning, before all the winter bugs are let loose!

What a contrast in temperatures this week to last weekend. Mike was swimming in the sea just a week ago, now we're thinking of getting sweaters out. The good thing is that with the changing weather, the plants are becoming even more colourful with their autumn shades.

An early start, an incontinent dog and lunch at European time

Up at 5.30 to take my brother to hospital. I'd prepared breakfast last evening, thought I had little to do, only to discover when I went into the kitchen, that poor Gizmo had been 'taken short' in the night. He never makes a mess, but of course he's getting older. Just the wrong morning. We soon caught up though, and I even managed a little walk for Gizmo about 6.15. Left the house at 6.30, and were back again just before 9.
Couldn't go far as we had to wait for the hospital to phone to go and collect brother again. Just about to finish cooking lunch when the hospital rang. He was ready, could we make our way to Blandford.
We decided to put lunch on hold, had a quick banana, plus a glucose tablet, and set off. Lovely day for a drive in the country. Brother taken back home, feeling a little woozy. One relieved wife waiting for him.
We had lunch when we arrived home, about 3.30. Just like being back in Spain! Throws the system here though, as when do we eat our next meal? Gizmo thought it odd too, and told me off for not taking him for a walk at the usual times.

Return to photography and writing groups, and trouble in mouth sorted

Yesterday was like being back in a new school term. In the morning the photography group met up for the first autumn session. We have several new members, so should be very interesting with more feedback and more ideas floating around.
In the afternoon the writing group reconvened, and although we'd expected two new members they didn't turn up. Maybe they're still looking for the venue, or had the wrong date in mind. Look forward to finding out what happened. We had a lot of laughs there as usual, and enjoyed the company so much. It certainly does give the mind and soul a lift.
Back to the dentist this morning. I thought he may be English this time, as I heard somebody say his name is Michael, but he turned out to be a German. However, he seems to have sorted me out now and I can not only enjoy my food again, but converse freely too. (Some say that's not such a blessing.) Great relief to me anyway, so hope he'll stay here for some time.